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Motivation: Show A Picture Os A Snake and Let The Students Describe The Meaning of It

The document discusses the difference between the definition and meaning of words. It provides examples to illustrate that definition refers to the real or dictionary meaning of a word, while meaning can refer to how a word is used in context with different intentions or extensions beyond its strict definition. Criteria for good lexical definitions are also outlined, emphasizing that definitions should be affirmative, unambiguous, and avoid circular references to the defined term.

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Reichel Avila
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110 views

Motivation: Show A Picture Os A Snake and Let The Students Describe The Meaning of It

The document discusses the difference between the definition and meaning of words. It provides examples to illustrate that definition refers to the real or dictionary meaning of a word, while meaning can refer to how a word is used in context with different intentions or extensions beyond its strict definition. Criteria for good lexical definitions are also outlined, emphasizing that definitions should be affirmative, unambiguous, and avoid circular references to the defined term.

Uploaded by

Reichel Avila
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Motivation:

*Show a picture os a snake and let the students describe the meaning of it*

- reptile, venomous, doesn’t have legs and arms, and it crawls

Question: What is the meaning of the snake based on this sentence ““There could be a snake in your
friends”

Meanings: backstabber, evil, betrayer

The real meaning of the snake is it is a reptile that is venomous, it doesn’t have arms and legs. While in
the sentence, it is used with a meaning different from its original meaning.

Discussion:

That is the meaning of a definition and a meaning.

Definition means a statement of the exact meaning of a word, especially in a dictionary.

Meaning means what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action


In here definition is the real meaning of a word and it can be seen in the dictionary, while
meaning it is the meaning of a word based on the sentence, text or concept that it is being used.
Another for example is:
The dog is waggling its tail.
Question: What is the meaning of a dog?
He is such a dog to his friend
Question: What is the meaning of a dog? (insult, follower)

Another term for meaning is an INTENTIONAL and EXTENSIONAL

Intensional- “intension”indicates the internal content of a term or concept


that constitutes its formal definition; (REAL meaning)
Example is SHIP- “vehicle for conveyance on water,”
Extensional- indicates its range of applicability by naming the particular
objects that it denotes
SHIP- meaning cargo ships, passenger ships, battleships, and sailing ships.
Intensional is the meaning of a word
Extensional is the extension or particular meaning of a word.
Definitional Techniques: (intentional definition)
A. Demonstrative meaning- It uses demonstrative pronoun
Example: This is my bag. This is mine” The underlined word means bag.
B. Enumerative definitions: give meaning to a word by naming those items, people, or places
associated with the group being talked about.
For example: Actor means a person such as Brad Pitt, and etc. In here, you have to
identify the names or examples of an actor for greater assurance
C. Definition by subclass-

Criteria for Lexical Definition (Extentional definition)


rule 1 a lexical definition should conform to the standards of proper grammar

explanation: A definition, like any other form of expression, should be grammatically correct.

Vacation is when you don't have to go to work or school.


"Vacation" means a period during which activity is suspended from work or school.

rule 2 a lexical definition should convey the essential meaning of the word being defined

explanation: the word "human" is occasionally defined as featherless biped. Such a


definition fails to convey the essential meaning of "human" as the word is used in
ordinary English.
A more adequate definition would be "'Human' means the animal that has the capac- ity
to reason and to speak."
rule 3 a lexical definition should be neither too broad nor too narrow

explanation If a definition is too broad, the definiens includes too much; if it is too narrow, the
definiens includes too little.

"bird" were defined as any warm-blooded animal having wings, the definition would be too broad

bird" were defined as any warm-blooded, feathered animal that can fly, the definition would be
too narrow because it would exclude ostriches and penguins, which cannot fly.
rule 4 a lexical definition should avoid circularity

explanation: A definition is circular when the definiendum is defined in terms of itself

"Science" means the activity engaged in by scientists.


"Scientist" means anyone who engages in science.

rule 5 a lexical definition should not be negative when it can be affirmative


explanation: "Concord" means harmony.
"Concord" means the absence of discord.

rule 6 a lexical definition should avoid figurative, obscure, vague or ambiguous language

rule 7 a lexical definition should avoid affective terminology

explanation: Affective terminology is any kind of word usage that plays on the emotions of
the reader or listener.
"Communism" means that "brilliant" invention of Karl Marx and other foolish political
vision- aries in which the national wealth is supposed to be held in common by the
people.
rule 8 a lexical definition should indicate the context to which the definiens pertains

applies to any definition in which the context of the definiens is important to the meaning of the
definiendum

"Strike" means (in baseball) a pitch at which a batter swings and misses.
"Strike" means (in bowling) the act of knocking down all the pins with the rst ball of a frame.
"Strike" means (in shing) a pull on a line made by a sh in taking the bait.

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